Best Friends Forever
by monchelelover32
Summary: An AU one-shot where Finn and Rachel are living proof that boys and girls can't be best friends without one falling for the other.


**A/N: A story that I originally posted on tumblr. I thought I'd post it here as well. :) Enjoy!**

* * *

Finn Hudson's her best friend. She's pretty sure about that. She still remembers the first time they met. They were both six. It was during the summer, just before school started.

Being an only child, she never had anyone to play with. It was kind of sad, but looking back, Rachel thought that it was for the best. It had taught her to be the creative and independent young woman she is now. Anyway, she was playing with a pink ball her dads had gotten her, by the front yard. She was so caught up in trying to dribble the ball rhythmically that she barely heard a young boy say, "Can I play with you?"

She turned around to where the voice came from and saw a boy, about her age, dressed in a baseball shirt, bermudas and sandals, awkwardly looking down at his feet.

"You don't mind playing with a pink ball?" She asked.

"S'okay. There's nothing wrong with a boy playing with a pink ball, right?"

She smiled. "Okay. We can play. I'm Rachel."

"My name's Finn."

After they bounced the ball back and forth for a bit, a loud booming voice shouted, "Finn! Get back here! You know you're not supposed to run off on your own!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Rachel. I got to go. Maybe I'll see you in school?"

"Maybe. Which school?"

"McKinley Elementary. Bye, Rach."

"Bye."

She was upset to see him go, but at least they'll be going to the same school. Maybe she wouldn't be so lonely after all.

-x-

She didn't see him at all. It was the first day of school, and she hadn't made any friends. She sat alone at lunch, with her little Barbra Streisand lunchbox, which consisted of a sandwich and an apple.

She barely took a bite of her sandwich before…

"Hey, Rach. Can I sit with you?"

She should have known.

"Finn!"

He laughed and took a seat beside her.

"Today's was awesome! I made tons of new friends." He had said, as he munched down his sandwich while food oozed out the corners of his mouth.

"Oh. That's nice." She smiled, sadly.

"What about you?"

"I-I didn't. People just don't like me."

"Hey, I like you."

"You do?"

He grinned and Rachel noticed all the pieces of food stuck in between his teeth.

"Ew. Cover your mouth. Boys are filthy."

"I am _not_ filthy!" He had said in defense.

"You're filthy but I like you too."

-x-

Rachel hated middle school. It was what everyone called "_The Awkward Stage_." She had pimples and a terrible haircut. Till this day, she wonders why Finn Hudson stuck by her side throughout _those_ years.

They were doing homework, at Rachel's house, when Finn, out of the blue asked, "Have you had your first kiss yet?"

"Nope. Why do you ask?" She replied and tried to divert her attention back to her math book."

"I was just wondering, you know, since we're best friends and all, that maybe, well, only if you want to, maybe we could be each others' first kiss."

She looked up to see him staring down at the floor and his cheeks flushed crimson pink.

"Okay."

"Okay?"

She nodded. "It makes perfect sense, since we know each other so well."

He scooted over to where she was seated and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. They were inches apart and Rachel could feel his hot breath against her lips. Deciding to help him out a bit, she leaned forward and pressed her lips against his.

"That was nice."

"Really nice." He agreed, and they both went back to their homework. They never spoke of it again.

-x-

When she gets asked out and then stood up on her first date, it was Finn who snuck out of his house in the middle of the night, ran, scaled the side of her house and into her bedroom and held her while she sobbed into his shoulders.

"Jake is such a jackass. And Jake is already such a jackass-y name. I swear I'm going to beat him up the next time I-"

"I know you're a tough, macho football player, but it's okay Finn." She sniffled.

"But he hurt you. And you're my best friend. I hate to see you cry." He said, honestly.

The corners of her lips finally turned upwards and she placed a hand on his cheek. "How did I ever find someone like you?"

"You didn't. I found you." He reminded her.

She laughed and buried her face in his neck again. It was in that moment when she realized, that maybe - _just maybe_ - she might love him.

-x-

When they turned seventeen, Finn announced that he had a girlfriend, Quinn. Rachel couldn't help but want to throw darts at her face. She was _far _from pleasant, in fact, she was pretty sure that Quinn hated her guts.

But, Finn was happy. She couldn't deny that. Her heart literally ached whenever she saw them together. She wanted to scream - to let the whole world know that she knew him first. But even she knew that that was futile.

"I think I love her." Finn said as he slammed his locker.

"You - you do?"

"Well, I think I do."

She had to will the tears in her eyes to hold back as she said, "I'm happy for you. You deserve to be happy. I - I have to get to biology."

"Yeah, yeah, you better go. You're going to be late."

"See you after school?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Rach. I can't. I promised Quinn I'd walk her to cheer practice."

"It's okay. It's alright." The tears in her eyes were about to come out anytime now. So, she walked away quickly.

"Hey." Finn said when he caught up with her. "I really am, sorry… Are – are you crying?"

"What? No, no." She wiped at her eyes. "I yawned."

"Oh?" He smiled, relieved. "I'll call you after that okay?"

"Okay."

"Now get to class you slow poke."

"Excuse me, you were the one holding me up."

"Touché."

He did make her smile for an instant, but it quickly passed and the happiness was replaced by that ache in her heart again. She actually had to clutch it for a moment.

She loves him.

-x-

Rachel, unfortunately, had to go stag for junior prom. It didn't matter to her though. She went with her single glee friends, Tina and Mercedes and they had a blast.

She went to get some fruit punch when she felt someone bump into her.

"Hey, Ru-paul. It's time you and I had a little chat."

"Excuse me?"

"I want you to stay away from my man."

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb with me. Stay away from Finn, you little idiot."

"Excuse me. Finn and I have known each other for eleven years now, and you have known him for what, three months? You should be the one to back off."

"And why should I? I'm his _girl_friend."

"Well, I'm – I'm his best friend."

Quinn cackled and told her, "Listen to yourself, you're pathetic. You think you're so great at keeping your little secret. The whole world knows you're in love with him. Except Finn, he's oblivious."

"I don't know what you're talking about." She replied, crossing her arms.

"Just, back off alright. He's mine. You'll never have him, and you never will." She then marched right off.

Oh, there were the stubborn tears again. She fled from prom and ran three streets into the confines of her own bedroom. After she took off her heels, she threw them against her door in frustration. She couldn't believe she was so stupid – loving someone she could never have.

Barely five minutes later, there was a knock on her window.

"Finn?"

"Rachel, are you crying again?" He asked as he squeezed and crawled through the incredible tiny window as a large man.

"Rachel." He said again as he hugged her from behind.

She retreated from his touch and took a few steps away from him.

"Did Quinn have anything to do with this?" He asked, fuming.

She didn't answer.

"I knew it. I'm so glad I broke up with her."

"You what?"

"Yeah, I broke up with her two weeks ago. It's just that, we were already campaigning for King and Queen, so we thought we might as well just go together."

"But, she told me she was still your girlfriend."

"She did? That crazy bit-"

"Finn. Language." She chided.

He guffawed. Trust her to think about language while she's sobbing.

He took a few steps closer to her. "I really wanted to go to prom with you instead. I really wanted to do this." He tilted her head up, with his finger beneath her chin and leaned down to place a soft peck on her lips, to test the waters. When he found that she didn't resist, he deepened their kiss, pouring all that he could into it.

"Oh Finn." She whispered when they finally broke apart. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"This is my way of telling you. I broke up with her, for you. I love you Rachel, I always did."

"I – I love you too, Finn. I'm so glad I have you."

-x-

"What are you thinking about?" Her husband says as he wraps his arm around her, pulling her out of her daydream.

"Oh, nothing. I was just reminiscing old times."

"Oh? About what exactly?"

"You know how they say boys and girls can't be best friends without falling in love?"

"I think we're living proof of that."

"We are, aren't we?" She giggles. "God, we were always each other's first. First best friend, first kiss, first love, first _time_." Her voice starts to trail off.

"Mrs. Hudson, are you thinking about what I think you are?"

"Please, baby, we haven't done it for a while, the kids have been driving us nuts!"

"Two days is a while?"

"Please, please, please." She pouts, climbing onto his lap, on their bed.

"You know I love you."

"I love you too. Now can _show_ me that you love me?"


End file.
